The Denver Nuggets ended the longest single-season losing streak
in NBA history at 23 games as Anthony Goldwire came off the
bench to match a career high with 20 points and Johnny Newman
added 19 in a 99-81 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rookie Danny Fortson scored 15 points as Denver placed six
players in double figures and won for the first time since a
100-92 home victory over the Clippers on December 7th. The
Nuggets tied the record for most consecutive defeats in one
season, set by the Vancouver Grizzlies from February 16th-April
2nd, 1996, after they were routed Friday at Phoenix, 93-77.

"It's the greatest feeling to know that we're not the ultimate
losers," Fortson said. "We really wanted this more than any
game we played all year. It's a blessing, it's like getting a
monkey, no a gorilla off your back. It's like something you've
been waiting for for a while. You knew you deserved it but it
never happened before. We're just happy we went out there and
capitalized on the opportunity. No one on this team wanted any
part of a team known in history that lost more games than
anybody in pro sports."

"The record is kind of misleading," Garrett said. "With a
record like that a team gets down on itself. This is the first
night in a long time that we actually played like a team.
Scoring was down and that's what wins games."

Los Angeles coach Bill Fitch, who needs one more victory to tie
Red Auerbach for second place on the all-time list with 938,
gave Denver rookie guard Bobby Jackson the ball at the end of
the game to give to coach Bill Hanzlik.

"I've been there," said Fitch about the losing streak. "To go
through that many losses somebody ought to give you something.
If we play many more games like we played tonight we'll have our
own streak going."

"It's terrible absolutely terrible," said Piatkowski. "It's
extremely embarrassing especially on your home floor to get beat
by that many points. There's no excuse for that at all. Not to
mention they outhustled us they beat us to every loose ball they
outrebounded us. I don't know what the hell happened. They're
not a bad team but we shouldn't lose on our home court like
that."

Denver trailed 9-4 with 9:07 left in the opening quarter after
Stojko Vrankovic's dunk. But Newman's jumper sparked a 15-0
burst and Tony Battie added seven points as part of a 22-6
closing run to give Denver a 26-15 advantage after one period.
During the run the Nuggets hit 9-of-12 shots while the Clippers
missed eight straight and connected on just 25 perecnt
(5-for-20) for the quarter.

The Nuggets did not let up in the second period. Fortson scored
nine points and Goldwire added six as the lead ballooned to
56-36 on a pair of free throws by Battie with 6.9 seconds left
before the break.

Battie had 13, while LaPhonso Ellis and Goldwire added 10 apiece
for the Nuggets, who shot 51 percent from the floor in the first
half.

"Thank God all mighty it's sure nice to win a game," said Denver
coach Bill Hanzlik. "Tonight was the first night we put
everything together. I'm elated, I'm excited, I'm pumped up.
We got some things out of players that we haven't gotten all
year but I believed all along they could do. Goldy was awesome,
Battie played a great game. Danny Fortson had his best game,
Dean Garret played well. We had so many guys that played well
and that's what you have to do to win."

The Clippers chipped away at a 20-point deficit and closed
within 64-52 on Martin's jumper with 3:41 remaining in the third
quarter. But Fortson had six points while Goldwire and former
Clipper Harold Ellis scored four apiece as the Nuggets ended the
period with a 14-1 surge for a 78-53 cushion.

The Nuggets took their biggest lead, 83-57, when Goldwire sank
three free throws with 10:58 remaining.

Denver avoided matching the longest losing streak in league
history, set by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who dropped the final
19 games of the 1981-82 season and the first five of the
following campaign.